Increase pay for jobs where there are more women – Dr Bhim

Pay should be increased for those jobs where women are a majority, for example, nurses and teachers.

This has been highlighted by FNU lecturer, Doctor Mosmi Bhim while making a comment during the Speaker’s Debate on the theme “Women’s Public Leadership: Empowering Women’s Participation at all Levels of Decision-Making”.

Dr. Bhim says if the pay is not increased, women will not be taking out time to take part in things of national interest.

Dr Bhim says temporary special measures to encourage more women to get into leadership roles will not work if you cannot create a safe space for women where women feel safe to stand in elections.

She adds the size of our military is still too big and they have too much power.

The lecturer says they know that because there is still a danger of another coup and that also places fear not just in women but other capable men of standing.

Dr Bhim says Parliament has to be a safe job and just looking at what is happening in Parliament now, 17 Members of Parliament do not know their fate and she asks how that encourages a woman to stand in the elections.

While responding to the comments, Speaker Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu says they hope to encourage more young children to see parliamentary roles as a way to serve the country but at the same time, health and everything is just as important.

Meanwhile, Ratu Naiqama says men should be encouraged to work closely with women to enable them to show the way and teach them the ropes.

He says this is what is being encountered in the Parliament and whenever he goes out and speaks to people, he introduces the Secretary-General to Parliament as his boss.

Ratu Naiqama says he does this not to embarrass her but in the hope, that this will generate interest when a highly educated woman runs the Parliament with a budget of millions.